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James Marshall's Mother Goose
Unlike Tenniel's Alice , there is no one definitive version of Mother Goose. The Mother Goose rhymes, like Aesop's fables and the tales of Grimm, offer unlimited possibilities for illustration, and over the past two hundred years many artists (Rackham, Greenaway, Sendak, to name just a few) have reinterpreted the rhymes in their own fashion.
James Marshall's picture books, from the eccentric George and Martha to the charming Carrot Nose , have all exhibited a highly personal comic style. So it's no surprise that, for his first encounter with Mother Goose, Marshall has chosen only those rhymes which appeal to his sense of humor--some among the most popular verses, others not so well know. Here are classic characters like Old King Cole and Peter, Peter, re-created with a lively touch. Here too, are Poll Parrot and Elsie Marley, as silly as can be.
Any illustrated collection of Mother Goose must inevitably be a collaboration between the interpretive artist and the unknown authors of the rhymes themselves. This time out, the Old Dame's genius for timeless nonsense is happily matched by a gifted American illustrator who outdoes himself in her honor.
Enter Mother Goose--a fresh and funny look.
James Marshall's picture books, from the eccentric George and Martha to the charming Carrot Nose , have all exhibited a highly personal comic style. So it's no surprise that, for his first encounter with Mother Goose, Marshall has chosen only those rhymes which appeal to his sense of humor--some among the most popular verses, others not so well know. Here are classic characters like Old King Cole and Peter, Peter, re-created with a lively touch. Here too, are Poll Parrot and Elsie Marley, as silly as can be.
Any illustrated collection of Mother Goose must inevitably be a collaboration between the interpretive artist and the unknown authors of the rhymes themselves. This time out, the Old Dame's genius for timeless nonsense is happily matched by a gifted American illustrator who outdoes himself in her honor.
Enter Mother Goose--a fresh and funny look.
- GenresPicture BooksPoetry
40 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1986
About the author
James Marshall
152 books145 followersJames Edward Marshall (October 10, 1942 – October 13, 1992), who also wrote as Edward Marshall, was a children's author and illustrator.
His father worked on the railroad, was a band member in the 1930s, and his mother sang in the local church choir. His family later moved to Beaumont, Texas. Marshall said: "Beaumont is deep south and swampy and I hated it. I knew I would die if I stayed there so I diligently studied the viola, and eventually won a scholarship to the New England Conservatory in Boston."[1] He entered the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, but injured his hand, ending his music career. He returned to Texas, where he attended San Antonio College, and later transferred to Southern Connecticut State University where he received degrees in French and history.
It is said that he discovered his vocation on a 1971 summer afternoon, lying on a hammock drawing. His mother was watching Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and the main characters, George and Martha, ultimately became characters in one of his children's books. Marshall continued as a children's author until his untimely death in 1992 of a brain tumor. In 1998, George and Martha became the basis of an eponymous animated children's television show.
In addition to George and Martha, the lovable hippopotami, James Marshall created dozens of other uniquely appealing characters. He is well-known for his Fox series (which he wrote as "Edward Marshall"), as well as the Miss Nelson books, the Stupids, the Cut-ups, and many more. James Marshall had the uncanny ability to elicit wild delight from readers with relatively little text and simple drawings. With only two minute dots for eyes, his illustrated characters are able to express a wide range of emotion, and produce howls of laughter from both children and adults.
His father worked on the railroad, was a band member in the 1930s, and his mother sang in the local church choir. His family later moved to Beaumont, Texas. Marshall said: "Beaumont is deep south and swampy and I hated it. I knew I would die if I stayed there so I diligently studied the viola, and eventually won a scholarship to the New England Conservatory in Boston."[1] He entered the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, but injured his hand, ending his music career. He returned to Texas, where he attended San Antonio College, and later transferred to Southern Connecticut State University where he received degrees in French and history.
It is said that he discovered his vocation on a 1971 summer afternoon, lying on a hammock drawing. His mother was watching Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and the main characters, George and Martha, ultimately became characters in one of his children's books. Marshall continued as a children's author until his untimely death in 1992 of a brain tumor. In 1998, George and Martha became the basis of an eponymous animated children's television show.
In addition to George and Martha, the lovable hippopotami, James Marshall created dozens of other uniquely appealing characters. He is well-known for his Fox series (which he wrote as "Edward Marshall"), as well as the Miss Nelson books, the Stupids, the Cut-ups, and many more. James Marshall had the uncanny ability to elicit wild delight from readers with relatively little text and simple drawings. With only two minute dots for eyes, his illustrated characters are able to express a wide range of emotion, and produce howls of laughter from both children and adults.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 22, 2020
Don't know why it says published in 1986, as I have a file card from 1984 noting that I read it to my kids on June 10. Dewey # J398.8
November 15, 2012
1. This book is a Mother Goose story
2. This book is a collection of nursery rhymes that have a humorous twist to them.
3. (A) I think this is a very accurate Mother Goose book. It has a wide collection of different nursery rhymes. The rhymes are geared towards younger audiences and the book has great illustrations.
(B) I think this is a very appropriate Mother Goose book for children to read. These books have nursery rhymes that have a lot have great rhymes and rhythm that children will enjoy reading. These nursery rhymes have a humorous twist to them but at the same time still have morals and lessons in them for a child to learn.
(C) This book is a great example of what Mother Goose books are. It takes very popular nursery rhymes and adds a funny twist to them to make them silly. I really liked how he created Peter, Pumpkin Eater from the nursery rhyme Old King Cole and Peter. I think it shows how creative the Mother Goose stories are in this book.
4. I loved reading this book. It brought me right back to my childhood. I really liked how this author recreated the famous stories and added humor to them. I would really like to use this book in my future classroom to give my students the experience of reading different genres of books. I also think that students would really love this book and think it is really funny so I would like to read this to them so they can be engaged in reading and learn how fun reading can be.
2. This book is a collection of nursery rhymes that have a humorous twist to them.
3. (A) I think this is a very accurate Mother Goose book. It has a wide collection of different nursery rhymes. The rhymes are geared towards younger audiences and the book has great illustrations.
(B) I think this is a very appropriate Mother Goose book for children to read. These books have nursery rhymes that have a lot have great rhymes and rhythm that children will enjoy reading. These nursery rhymes have a humorous twist to them but at the same time still have morals and lessons in them for a child to learn.
(C) This book is a great example of what Mother Goose books are. It takes very popular nursery rhymes and adds a funny twist to them to make them silly. I really liked how he created Peter, Pumpkin Eater from the nursery rhyme Old King Cole and Peter. I think it shows how creative the Mother Goose stories are in this book.
4. I loved reading this book. It brought me right back to my childhood. I really liked how this author recreated the famous stories and added humor to them. I would really like to use this book in my future classroom to give my students the experience of reading different genres of books. I also think that students would really love this book and think it is really funny so I would like to read this to them so they can be engaged in reading and learn how fun reading can be.
September 30, 2012
James Marshall’s Mother Goose, by James Marshall (Square Fish, 1979) p.36
Picture book: Mother Goose
Summary: Traditional Mother Goose Stories and some, not so traditional. The Old Mother Hubbard is a Classic Mother Goose Tale. Tales that are classics and in my opinion all children should know Mother Goose.
a) The tales are told well and the illustrations are are not overly done or understated. The illustrations are colorful and not all framed the same. Some are square, some are oval.
b) Hickory Dickory Dock, Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater, Here we go round the Mulberry Bush are just a few of the stories included in this book. It is short enough for children to carry around and varies enough for them to enjoy reading it over and over again.
c) Peter, Peter, Pumpkin eater is on one page, Little Boy Blue is on the adjoining page, but the share the same illustration.
Curriculum Connection: Nursery Rhymes such as Mother Goose stories can be used to teach Rhyme, or opposites. They are catchy and can be put to music such as Hey Diddle Diddle the Cat and the Fiddle.
Picture book: Mother Goose
Summary: Traditional Mother Goose Stories and some, not so traditional. The Old Mother Hubbard is a Classic Mother Goose Tale. Tales that are classics and in my opinion all children should know Mother Goose.
a) The tales are told well and the illustrations are are not overly done or understated. The illustrations are colorful and not all framed the same. Some are square, some are oval.
b) Hickory Dickory Dock, Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater, Here we go round the Mulberry Bush are just a few of the stories included in this book. It is short enough for children to carry around and varies enough for them to enjoy reading it over and over again.
c) Peter, Peter, Pumpkin eater is on one page, Little Boy Blue is on the adjoining page, but the share the same illustration.
Curriculum Connection: Nursery Rhymes such as Mother Goose stories can be used to teach Rhyme, or opposites. They are catchy and can be put to music such as Hey Diddle Diddle the Cat and the Fiddle.
November 26, 2012
1. Genre: Children's Book - Mother Goose
2. This is a compilation of nursery rhymes that have quite a funny twist to them.
3. (A) The area for accuracy: illustrations
(B) The illustrations in this book are awesome. They show a good depiction of what is going on in the actual rhymes the children are reading. These are easy for them to read and with the added illustrations children are bound to love this book.
(C) I like how the author took older rhymes and changed them a bit like he did with Peter the Pumpkin Eater. Every child will enjoy these nursery rhymes.
4. This is a great book to use in the classroom when teaching rhymes. The stories have added humor, great illustrations and the children will love reading them. Any lesson on how to spell, rhymes and sounds will be great for this book.
2. This is a compilation of nursery rhymes that have quite a funny twist to them.
3. (A) The area for accuracy: illustrations
(B) The illustrations in this book are awesome. They show a good depiction of what is going on in the actual rhymes the children are reading. These are easy for them to read and with the added illustrations children are bound to love this book.
(C) I like how the author took older rhymes and changed them a bit like he did with Peter the Pumpkin Eater. Every child will enjoy these nursery rhymes.
4. This is a great book to use in the classroom when teaching rhymes. The stories have added humor, great illustrations and the children will love reading them. Any lesson on how to spell, rhymes and sounds will be great for this book.
May 29, 2008
Summary (Worldcat):Presents familiar and lesser-known rhymes from Mother Goose.
Review: A fun version of Mother Goose rhymes, especially for those like me, who can only picture the old Real Mother Goose by Blanche Fish Wright. What was old is new again; new and fun and silly. The literal depiction, often presented in several frames, has almost a graphic novel feel as the strange nursery rhymes are explained with pictures.
Positive Horn Book review, their choice of the word "hilarious" is appropriate. Also positively reviewed in Publishers Weekly.
Review: A fun version of Mother Goose rhymes, especially for those like me, who can only picture the old Real Mother Goose by Blanche Fish Wright. What was old is new again; new and fun and silly. The literal depiction, often presented in several frames, has almost a graphic novel feel as the strange nursery rhymes are explained with pictures.
Positive Horn Book review, their choice of the word "hilarious" is appropriate. Also positively reviewed in Publishers Weekly.
January 3, 2013
A collection of favorite and familiar nursery rhymes with illustrations that add humor to each page. The illustrations make for a fresh read of verses that are so familiar to most of us that we can recite them from memory.
This is one of my favorite Mother Goose collections to date.
This is one of my favorite Mother Goose collections to date.
July 28, 2014
Notes:
maybe a die-hard Marshall fan would love this but I don't get it; we much prefer the Iona Opie mother goose
maybe a die-hard Marshall fan would love this but I don't get it; we much prefer the Iona Opie mother goose
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews